Cigar bunch separating mechanism



Feb. 9, 1943.

J. F. HALSTEAD CIGAR BUNCH SEPARATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 17, 1940 haw; Ni

INVENTOR 4 JOHN F HALSTEAD TITORNEY.

Patented Feb. 9, 1943 CIGAR BUNCH SEPARATIN G MECHANISM John F. Halstead,

Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application May 17, 1940, Serial No. 335,657

4 Claims.

This invention relates to bunch-charge separating mechanism for cigar machine, and an object of the invention is to improve the method of ejecting the charge from the magazine after cutting the same from a tobacco column.

In my co-pending application S. N. 237,254, filed Oct. 27, 1938, on which Patent No. 2,255,740 dated Sept. 9, 1941 was granted, the bunch charge, upon being cut, is tightly held between the bottom plate of the tobacco magazine and the separator plate which advances with the knife and supports the vertical tobacco column from which the charge has been cut. Therefore the plunger used to expel the cut charge from the magazine meets with so great a resistance that it has to advance some distance (about one-third the width of the magazine) into the charge before the latter starts to move. This movement under considerable pressure causes a disturbance of the charge which results in faulty bunches.

In order to obviate this difiiculty in the embodiment of the invention selected to illustrate the invention there is provided mechanism for lowering the bottom plate of the magazine a certain distance after the charge has been cut, thereby creating a clearance between the cut charge and the separator plate, and thus elimi nating the objectionable friction formerly encountered by the then advancing ejecting plunger. This improved method of charge ejection may be achieved by simply cutting out a portion of the tail of the cam piece shown in Fig. 18 of my prior patent referred to hereinbefore. This change and its effect on the operation of the mechanism is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is an end elevation of charge-cutting and ejecting mechanism, similar to that disclosed in my Patent No. 2,255,740;

Fig. 2 is a top view from line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 4 to 11, inclusive, are diagrammatic views showing the operation of the modified device during one cycle of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, the plates 20, 2| and 22 (Fig. 1) which constitute the side walls of a vertical filler supply magazine, designated generally 23, are placed and supported in the same manner as in my above mentioned patent. A pressure plate 24 secured to a slide 26 as shown in my co-pending application is operated to compress the filler tobacco supply held in the magazine 23 by a bottom plate 3| which is attached to a bracket 32 projecting from a slide 33 mountmovement in the bracket 34 7 pressure plate 24 and bottom plate 3| by cam actuated mechanism such as shown in my above mentioned patent and the column of tobacco so held therebetween is lowered into charge separating position, and an adjustable screw 5| carried by a holder 52 secured to the slide 33 in any suitable manner engages a plate 53 attached to the upper end of bracket 34 and stops further descent of the slide 33 and the bottom plate 3|. Screw 5| is provided with a graduated barrel which permits the operator of the machine to readily determine the amount of adjustment given to screw 5I. The turning of screw 5| regulates the thickness of the charge to be separated and when correctly set it is locked in place by a nut 56.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the charge-cutting knife II carried by arms 203, and the columnsupporting separator plate I0 are actuated by cam-operated link 2III which turns bell-crank lever I83 fulcrumed on shaft 200 and, through connecting rod I82, controls knife slide I8I to which the cam piece I84 is attached. This cam piece is the same as that shown in Fig. 18 of my prior Patent No. 2,255,740 with the exception that it has a cut-out 204 in its tail portion, the incline 205 near its forward end being the same as before.

The charge-ejecting plunger 74 attached to plunger plate I3 is operated by the slide I55 controlled by cam-actuated link 2112 through bellcrank lever I51 and connecting rod I56. To slide I55 is affixed the holder I6I which, on pivot I63, carries the latch I62, the roller I of which is held by spring 206 in engagement with the under side of cam piece I84. To cross bar 20'! of knife slide I8I, which carries the knife arms 253, is attached a link 268 connected to an eccentric driven by one of the shafts of the machine or by a separate small motor, thus imparting horizontal oscillating motion to the knife II as the same advances into the tobacco column.

The levers I66 and I68 on fulcrum I61, the link III, arm I", adjusting screw 5|, filler magazine 23 and all co-acting mechanisms are the .same as described in my Patent No. 2,255,740,

The operation of the improved device is as follows:

In Fig. 4 the relative positions of the working parts at the beginning of the cycle are shown. Both the knife H and the plunger 14 are in their starting positions and out of the magazin 23. The roller I85 of latch I62 is clear of the incline 285 of cam piece I84, and the latch E62 engages the pin I65 of lever I66.

A depression in the cam track (not shown) which actuates link 282 causes the plunger 14 momentarily to advance a short distance into magazine 23 (Fig. 5) thereby, due to the engagement of the latch 62 with pin I65 forwardly moving the arm I68 approximately to position I68 and through link I1I setting the arm I11 mounted on spindle I18 threaded into and turning in a threaded hub I19 secured in bracket 53 into the proper position I11 (Fig. 5) which sets the position of plate 3i through adjustable stop screw 5|, causing the plate 3I to descend and thus increasing the thickness of the thin charge about to be severed from the mass of filler tobacco in magazine 23, as shown in my above mentioned patent preparatory to severance of a bunch charge. Stud I69 of arm I66 is normally held against the end of slot I in link I1l by a spring I12 stretched between a post I13 of link I1I and a post I14 carried by an upright column I15. Th extent plunger 14 advances into the magazine is controlled by the density of the tobacco, the spring I58 yielding as explained in my previously mentioned patent, while the lever I51 swings to the forward limit of its movement. When plunger 14 is actuated to feel the lower portion of the filler tobacco, it advances into the tobacco until the density of the same overcomes the tension of the spring I65 whereupon any additional travel of the plunger will be stopped as the stud on the upper end of the lever I51 will pass freely in the slot I59. If the tobacco is of the desired density, the slot I59 is long enough to take up the travel of the stud and the plunger will remain inactive. On the return of plunger 14 from its feeling stroke, the arm I68 moves back to its original position, slot I16 preventing link I1! from participating in this movement. The link I1I is retained in its forward position, as the adjusting screw 5I bears against a fiber insert I88 provided in spindle I18, thus holding spindle 18 from turning whereby stud I69 will move freely in slot I10.

Next, cam-operated link 21H causes lever I83 to advance knife 1I, Fig. 6, thereby moving cam piece I84 in the forward direction, causing the incline 265 to depress roller I85, thus disengaging the latch I62. As the knife continues to advance, the cam piece I84 slides over roller I85 until the latter, when the knife is nearly all the way in, snaps into cut-out 254, re-engaging latch I62,Fig.'7.

As the knife then completes its forward movement, the link 262 commences to ascend. Hence the plunger 14 starts to move in, Fig. "I, the arms I66 and I68 advancing with the same due to the engagement of latch I62, thereby moving the arm I11 into position I11 (Fig. 8) in which the spindle I18 has turned sufiiciently to allow bottom plate 3| of magazine 23 to drop to position 3|, Fig. 3, thus providing room for reducing the friction of the movement of plunger 14 after the latter has entered within the magazine.

While the plunger continues to move inward, and because the knife slide has completed its forward stroke, Fig. 8, the roller I85 slides out of cut-out 254 and entering the under face of cam piece I84, tilts latch I62 and. disengages the same, so that the arms I66, I68 remain stationary while the plunger 14 moves all the way in, to eject the cut charge T when the roller I has passed beyond the incline 265 of cam piece I84, Fig. 9.

The plunger 14 then begins its return stroke and, when almost in its outermost position, Fig. 10, the roller I85 snaps into cut-out 284 of cam piece I84, thereby re-engaging latch I62.

As the plunger completes its rearward stroke, Fig. 11, the roller I85 rides on the cut-out 204, and latch I62 pushes arm I68 back into its original position. At this time, plate 3I is moved upward, stopping a short distance below plate 10 to prevent dropping of the column of tobacco in magazine 23 at the time separator plate 16 is withdrawn, as described in Patent No. 2,255,740. This upward movement of plate 3| release the pressure on screw 18 so that spring I12 can reset the link HI and lever I11 into its starting position, Fig. 4. Then the knife plate 10 moves back to its starting position, and the plate 3| in conjunction with plate 24 and other parts, moves up to receive a new charge addition to the magazine, as described in my patent referred to above. Thereupon the top plate 24 of the magazine, which has previously ascended to allow the new charge addition to enter magazine 23, moves down to compact the added charge T upon the column of tobacco supported by plate 3I, and the mechanism is ready to out another bunch charge T from the same, as shown in Fig. 4.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigar machine, the combination with means for compacting a column of tobacco, of a knife for severing a bunch charge from the compacted column, a device for determining the density of the column prior to severance of the bunch charge therefrom, mechanism controlled by said device for reducing the pressure with which said column is compacted by said means whenever said device detects an excessive density of the tobacco in said column, a member for ejectin the severed charge from the compacted column, and mechanism for relieving the pressure on the severed bunch charge during the removal thereof by said member.

2. In a cigar machine, the combination with means for compacting a vertical column of 1aminated filler tobacco, of a horizontal knife for severing a bunch charge from the compacted column of tobacco, a device for determining the density of the column prior to severance of the bunch charg therefrom, mechanism controlled by said device for reducing the pressure with which said column is compacted by said means whenever said device detects an excessive density of the tobacco in said column, a member for ejecting the severed charge horizontally from the compacted column, and mechanism for relieving the pressure on the severed bunch charge during the removal thereof by said member.

3. In a cigar machine, the combination with means for compacting a vertical column of laminated filler tobacco, of a horizontal knife for severing a bunch charge from the lower end of the compacted column of tobacco, a device for ejecting the severed charge horizontally from the compacted column, and mechanism for relieving the pressure on the severed bunch charge during the removal by said device, said means including a bottom plate engaging the bottom of said column, and said device operating to lower said bottom plate to create a clearance during the ejection of the severed charge from the column.

4. In a cigar machine, the combination with means for compacting a vertical column of laminated filler tobacco, of a horizontal knife for severin a bunch charge from one end of the 

